What is cyanide?

Cyanide is a a compound containing the carbon-nitrogen, or cyano, radical combined with a metal or another radical. Cyanides are salts of hydrocyanic (prussic) acid. The name "cyanide" is most commonly used for two compounds, potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide.
Most cyanides are poisonous, and some are used to kill insects and rodents. Calcium cyanide, for example, is an effective fumigant. Mixed with water, it gives off fumes of hydrocyanic acid that kill living cells by disrupting their oxidation processes.
Sodium and potassium cyanide are used in the cyanide process of extracting gold and silver from their ores. A solution of either cyanide dissolves gold or silver from ores. The metals are then precipitated with zinc. In electroplating, cyanides help to distribute metal evenly on the article being plated. Cyanides are also used in making various pigments, including Prussian blue and Turnbull's blue. Organic cyanide compounds are called nitriles, and many are used in the manufacture of synthetic fibers and rubber.

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THE ONE DOLLAR BILL

The United States one-dollar bill is the most common denomination of US currency, totaling 45% of all bills ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100) produced. There are about 2 billion $1 bills in circulation.

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SUGAR IN THE MIDDLE AGES

In the Middle Ages, sugar was a treasured luxury costing 9 times as much as milk. Ironically, now that sugar is plentiful, sugar-free products are more popular than ever before.

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What is a depressant?

A depressant is a drug that reduces the activity of various body functions. Some depressants such as anesthetics, sedatives, antiepileptics, narcotics analgesics, and some muscle relaxants, slow nervous and muscular activity by acting on the central nervous system. Tranquilizers are depressants that affect only part of the nervous system. They induce relaxation without causing total depression.